1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for early sensing of water leakage, through chemical concentration monitoring, in a nuclear reactor system using a liquid metal and molten salt which prevents a shutdown, due to a crack, of a heat exchanger and a steam generator in the nuclear reactor system using the liquid metal and molten salt by early monitoring and reporting of the crack of the heat exchanger or the steam generator.
2. Description of Related Art
In nuclear power generation, materials with a nucleus possessing tremendous energy, such as Uranium, are used. Specifically, in nuclear power generation, tremendous energy, generated when atomic nucleus is fissioned or fused, is slowly converted into electric power. In this instance, various types of liquid metal reactors such as a pressurized water reactor (PWR), a heavy water reactor, a fast reactor, and the like are used to slowly generate a great amount of energy.
Currently, liquid metal reactors such as a sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) using liquid metals and molten salts, for example, liquid sodium, as a coolant is mainly used. In this instance, liquid metals and molten salts are excellent in heat transfer and do not decelerate neutrons.
However, in a conventional art, nuclear reactor systems using liquid metals and molten salts have safety problems. In steam generators or heat exchangers of nuclear reactor systems using liquid metals and molten salts, cracks in heat pipes may occur due to corrosions or thermal imbalance. Such cracks cause serious damage to heat pipe tubes of steam generators or heat exchangers. Accordingly, such damage of heat pipe tubes results in shutdowns of steam generators in nuclear reactor systems using liquid metals and molten salts, heat exchangers in nuclear reactor systems using liquid metals and molten salts, or nuclear reactors.
Thus, a sensing method and system which may sense cracks early as described above is required.